A legal instrument of the European Union (EU) as defined in Article 288 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). A decision is binding only on those to whom it is addressed without the need for national implementing measures. They can be of general or individual application.

Decisions are capable of vertical and horizontal direct effect.

Some of the most common decisions are those made by the Commission in regulating competition, addressed to and binding the individual companies concerned.

For more information, see Practice note, EU law essentials.